About the Mental Health Commission

The Commission is an independent body that was set up in 2002. Our functions are set out in the Mental Health Act 2001.

Our main functions are to promote, encourage and foster high standards and good practices in the delivery of mental health services and to protect the interests of patients who are involuntarily admitted.

There are a variety of types of mental health services which are provided in both in-patient and community settings in Ireland. Services include general adult mental health services, as well as mental health services for children and adolescents, older people, people with intellectual disabilities and forensic mental health services.

What we Do

We have a number of responsibilities which are set out in legislation. These include:

Appointing persons to mental health tribunals to review the detention of involuntary patients and appointing a legal representative for each patient;

Establishing and maintaining a Register of Approved Centres i.e. we register inpatient facilities providing care and treatment for people with a mental illness and mental disorder.

Making Rules regulating the use of specific treatments and interventions such as ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy), seclusion and mechanical restraint; and

Developing Codes of Practice to guide those working in the mental health services and enable them to provide high quality care and treatment to service users.